The Best Carry-On Luggage for Holiday Travel

On the official Monos Carry-On page we fetched on November 10, 2026, the bag is $275, 22 × 14 × 9 in including wheels and handles, 6.60 lb and 39.9 L. Monos says it is designed to fit all major airlines in North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania. Those overall dimensions match United’s published carry-on limit of 9 × 14 × 22 in, wheels and handle included — the only bag in this trio whose official overall numbers sit inside that box.

The included base Lifetime Warranty covers wheels, handles (including telescopic handles) and locks that fail through normal use, for the original owner, on bags bought from Monos or an authorized retailer. It does not cover airline damage, impact cracks, major denting, zipper damage or functional impacts from handling; those sit in optional Essential or Pro coverage, which Monos says must be added within 30 days of delivery after you activate the Lifetime Warranty. The 100-day trial is for unused bags in original packaging. The bag includes a laundry bag, two shoe bags and a vegan-leather tag, and lists four handle heights and YKK reverse-coil zippers.

Business Insider’s^[7] February 27, 2025 comparison (Kinsley Searles) found Monos bags handled better than Away bags in their testing, and preferred Monos for an exterior pocket on some models. That review tested the Carry-On Pro and Carry-On Plus for several of those remarks — not necessarily this standard Carry-On — and its warranty table still called both brands “limited lifetime,” which no longer matches Away’s current LifetimeCare terms for purchases on or after April 14, 2026. Treat BI as a 2025 handling note, not a 2026 warranty sheet.

Travelpro lists the Maxlite 5 21-inch expandable spinner at $148 on sale, $160 regular, on the official page we fetched November 10, 2026. It is a soft-sided polyester bag with DuraGuard coating, 5.4 lb, 46 L, a 2-inch tapered expansion, a two-position PowerScope Lite handle (38 in and 42.5 in) and 360-degree spinners. Travelpro publishes both overall dimensions (23 × 14.5 × 9 in, wheels and handles included) and case dimensions (21 × 14 × 9 in), and says airlines mean the overall number.

That overall height and width sit above United’s published 22 × 14 × 9 in box. Travelpro says this plainly: the 23 in overall height is “marginally above the commonly published 22 × 14 × 9 in standard, typical of nearly all premium carry-ons,” and that the bag is “sizer-bin tested” to fit sizers and overhead bins on mainline aircraft of major U.S. airlines. The same page warns that a fully expanded bag may not meet airline restrictions, and that regional jets usually mean gate-checking. We have not put this bag in a United sizer, so we are not going to pretend the published numbers and the sizer-test claim are the same thing — they are both on the maker’s page, and you should use a sizer or the airline’s current rule for your itinerary.

Coverage is a Built For A Lifetime limited warranty for defects in materials and workmanship that affect functional performance, including wheels, zippers and handles. The Trusted Companion Promise adds first-year shipping coverage and repair of airline or common-carrier damage if you register within 120 days of delivery. The 100-day trial includes free return shipping. This model’s official feature list does not include a TSA lock; a review quoted on the product page also notes the lack of a lock.

Away lists The Carry-On (Jet Black page we fetched November 10, 2026) at $275. The Size block on that page is 22 × 14.4 × 9.1 in, 7.5 lb and 41 L, and Away says those dimensions include handles and wheels. The FAQ on the same page lists 21.7 × 14.4 × 9 in, still 7.5 lb and 41 L. The page title and meta also mention 7.1 lb and 39.8 L. We use the Size block as the labeled spec, and we are flagging the same-page disagreements rather than picking a flattering number.

Those Size-block width (14.4 in) and depth (9.1 in) figures are slightly over United’s published 14 in and 9 in limits. Away markets the bag as fitting “most major airlines.” We have not run it through a United sizer. If your itinerary is on United or another carrier with a published 22 × 14 × 9 in box, measure the bag you receive, or choose Monos’ official 22 × 14 × 9 in figures instead.

For purchases on or after April 14, 2026, included LifetimeCare is not the older limited-lifetime warranty. Away’s LifetimeCare page: complimentary repairs in years 1–5 for manufacturing defects and for functional travel or airline mishandling; one replacement if the bag cannot be repaired in that window; repair support continues after year 5, though a service fee may apply except for complimentary in-store repairs; Away covers shipping. It does not cover cosmetic wear, or lost or stolen bags, and Away recommends filing an airline claim first. LifetimeCare Pro is listed at $35 for 10 years of coverage and up to two replacements. Away no longer includes a battery in classic bags (only bags made before July 2023). The brand lists a 100-day unused-return window.

Business Insider^[7] (February 27, 2025) tested The Carry-On in April 2024 and called out packing efficiency and durability, with scratches that came off with the included sponge. That is their test, not ours, and their warranty summary is now out of date for new Away purchases.